Level 5-3 Journey to the West
Workbook
Teacher’s Guide and Answer Key
1 Teacher’s Guide
A. Summary 1. Book Summary Long ago, in China, there lived a Monkey King. He went to a wise man to learn magic tricks and many other things. The wise man named him Sun Wukong. Needing a weapon, Sun Wukong took the Dragon King’s magic stick by force. For his crime, the Heavenly God brought him to heaven to do a lowly job, but Sun Wukong ran away. So Sakyamuni Buddha put him under a mountain. Five hundred years later, the monk Sanzang passed by and freed him. Sun Wukong then joined him on his trip to India to get some holy Buddhist books. Later they were joined by Zhu Wuneng and Sha Wujing.
On the way, the group met two demon brothers who had a magic bottle. Anyone who said the word “what” would be sucked into the bottle. The demons tricked Sun Wukong into the bottle, but he escaped. Sun Wukong then tricked the two brothers into the bottle. Further along the way, Sun Wukong fought to get a witch’s magic fan to put out the fire on a mountain so they could cross the mountain.
Finally, after fourteen years, Sanzang and his followers arrived at a monastery where Sakyamuni Buddha was staying. The Buddha gave Sanzang 5,048 scrolls. With the help of the Buddha’s guards, the group took only eight days to return home. Sanzang, Sun Wukong, and Zhu Wuneng eventually became Buddhas, and Sha Wujing became a worthy one.
2. Chapter Summary ► Chapter 1 Long ago, in China, there lived a Monkey King. He wanted to learn the secrets of the world, so he went to a wise man. Since he didn’t have a name, the wise man named him Sun Wukong. Sun Wukong learned many things from the wise man, including magic tricks.
► Chapter 2 Sun Wukong wanted a good weapon, so he attacked the Dragon King in the East Sea and took his magic iron stick. The Dragon King complained to the Heavenly God about this. The Heavenly God called Sun Wukong up to heaven and gave him a lowly job as a horse keeper. Sun Wukong got angry and ran back to Earth. The Heavenly God sent an army to fight him,
2 but it was defeated. Then Sakyamuni Buddha came to the army’s help. He put Sun Wukong under a mountain for 500 years, after which a monk would come by and set him free.
► Chapter 3 Time passed, and one day a monk named Sanzang passed by the mountain on his way to India to get some Buddhist books. He heard Sun Wukong’s cries for help. So the monk prayed, and Sun Wukong was freed. Sun Wukong decided to follow Sanzang to India to help him. But he soon found the trip too hard and tried to run away. Suddenly, a gold ring fell down from the sky onto him and tightened around his head. Sun Wukong begged for help, and Sanzang saved him again.
One day, they stopped at a house for the night. The owner told them a monster pig was coming to take his daughter away. Sun Wukong changed himself into the girl, and when the pig appeared Sun Wukong hit him on the head with his magic stick. The pig was Zhu Wuneng and had been expelled from heaven by the Heavenly God. He was sorry for what he did and wanted to follow the monk to India.
► Chapter 4 Along the way, the three travelers came to a big river. When they tried to cross it, a river monster came out and attacked them. For many days, Zhu Wuneng could not defeat it. Then when Sun Wukong tried to kill it, it hid in the river and would not come out again. Sun Wukong went to ask Bodhisattva Guanyin for help. Guanyin told him that the monster was Sha Wujing. He had been expelled from heaven and was waiting for the monk to come. When the monster found out who the monk was, he became a follower of Sanzang and helped the group cross the river.
► Chapter 5 Sanzang and his three followers continued on to India. Along the way, they were captured by two demons who had a magic bottle. Sun Wukong was sucked into the bottle when the demons tricked him into saying a magic word, “what.” But he changed into a fly and escaped. He then tricked the two demons into saying the magic word, and they were sucked into the bottle. Sun Wukong’s master and brothers were saved.
► Chapter 6 Later, the group came to a fire mountain that was too hot to cross. An old man told them they could put out the fire with a magic fan that belonged to a witch. Sun Wukong went to see the witch, but she refused to lend her fan to him. So Sun Wukong tricked her into giving
3 him the fan, but her husband then tricked Sun Wukong into giving it back. Sun Wukong then fought and defeated the couple and got the fan. He used it to bring rain to put out the fire on the mountain.
► Chapter 7 Sanzang and his followers finally arrived at the monastery where Sakyamuni Buddha was staying. They told the Buddha that they had traveled for fourteen years to get there in order to obtain some holy books for the emperor of China. The Buddha gave Sanzang 5,048 scrolls. He also ordered his guards to take the travelers back to China. The return trip took only eight days. The emperor ordered the holy books to be copied so that his people could get to read them. Sanzang, Sun Wukong, and Zhu Wuneng eventually became Buddhas, and Sha Wujing became a worthy one.
B. Background and Themes
★ Perseverance: It took them fourteen years to make the trip, but the perseverance of Sanzang and his followers was rewarded.
★ Courage: Sun Wukong was always ready to fight to protect his companions and to get what they needed.
★ Resourcefulness: Sometimes, Sun Wukong had to use tricks rather than strength to overcome difficulties.
4 Answer Key
Part A Story Focus
Before You Read
► Introduction
1. It is one of the four greatest stories from China.
2. It was written by Wu Cheng-en in 1592.
3. It was based on a real monk’s journey.
► Characters
1. Sun Wukong: smart, brave
2. Sanzang: holy, patient
3. Zhu Wuneng: strong, silly
4. Witch: cunning, magical
5 While You Read
(Answers may vary.)
► Chapter 1
A. Preview Questions
1. They are a monkey and a wise man.
2. They are in the jungle.
3. I think he wants to play.
B. Review Questions
1. He wanted to learn the secrets of the world.
2. He learned many things as well as magic tricks.
3. He could do it in no time.
► Chapter 2
A. Preview Questions
1. He is brought before an emperor.
2. I think the Monkey King did something wrong and is going to be punished.
3. He is the Dragon King.
B. Review Questions
1. He wanted a good weapon that was strong and strange like him.
2. The Monkey King attacked the Dragon King and took his magic iron stick.
3. The Heavenly God made him work as a horse keeper in Heaven.
► Chapter 3
A. Preview Questions
1. They are a monk and the Monkey King.
2. He has a gold ring on his head.
3. I think he is praying to help the Monkey King get the ring off his head.
6 B. Review Questions
1. Sanzang freed him from the mountain.
2. A gold ring fell from the sky onto his head.
3. He was really from heaven.
► Chapter 4
A. Preview Questions
1. It is the river monster.
2. I think he is going to fight him using the magic iron stick.
3. I think he is going to pray for their safety.
B. Review Questions
1. Zhu Wuneng fought first.
2. He went to Bodhisattva Guanyin.
3. He had been waiting for a monk to come.
► Chapter 5
A. Preview Questions
1. They are demons.
2. It is a magic bottle.
3. Sun Wukong is in it.
B. Review Questions
1. He was a demon.
2. Whoever said “what” would be sucked into the bottle.
3. He told them that his bottle had more power than their bottle.
► Chapter 6
A. Preview Questions
1. I think they are arguing.
7 2. I think they have magic power.
3. He is carrying a fan.
B. Review Questions
1. It was getting hotter because of a mountain of fire nearby.
2. The only way was to use a magic fan.
3. She called him a dirty monkey.
► Chapter 7
A. Preview Questions
1. They are in India.
2. It is the Buddha.
3. They are bowing to the Buddha.
B. Review Questions
1. Sakyamuni Buddha was staying at the monastery.
2. It took them fourteen years to get there.
3. It only took them eight days to get back to China.
Mini Quiz a. Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.
→ Great things come from small beginnings. b. Not all that glitters is gold.
→ Something may look good, but it doesn’t mean that it is actually good. c. Eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth.
→ If someone causes you harm, then you should harm them equally.
8 After You Read
(Answers may vary.)
► Pattern Practice
4. I will set you free if you repent.
5. Open the cage and set the rabbit free.
► Challenge
1. Sun Wukong is in chains because he stole something.
2. The Dragon King is mad because Sun Wukong stole his magic iron stick.
3. The Heavenly God gives Sun Wukong a job in heaven.
4. Sun Wukong works in heaven until he learns how low his job is.
9 Part B Skill Focus
Vocabulary Preview
A.
1. d 2. a
3. e 4. b
5. f 6. h
7. i 8. g
9. c 10. j
B. 1. some holy books 2. the pig appeared 3. arrived at a river 4. god heard him 5. out of the bottle 6. were sweating 7. lend her fan
10 Reading Comprehension
► Beginning: Chapters 1–2 A. 1. F 2. T 3. F 4. T 5. F B. 1. He is the Heavenly God. 2. He is in Heaven. 3. He is powerful. 4. He gave the job of a horse keeper to Sun Wukong. C. 1. a 2. c 3. c 4. b 5. c 6. d
► Middle: Chapters 3–5 A. 1. T 2. T 3. F 4. T 5. F B. 1. Sha Wujing 2. Sun Wukong 3. Zhu Wuneng 4. Sanzang C. 1. b 2. a 3. c 4. d 5. a 6. c
► End: Chapters 6–7 A. 1. T 2. T 3. F 4. F 5. T B. b → a → d → c C. 1. c 2. a 3. c 4. b 5. d 6. b 7. d
11 Think and Write
Main Idea: Sanzang’s journey to India
Event 1: met followers
Details: Sun Wukong
Zhu Wuneng
Sha Wujing
Event 2: met problems
Details: horned demons
fire mountain
a witch
Vocabulary Review
1. tricks 2. Heaven
3. set free 4. loose
5. sucked 6. real
7. dirty 8. blown
9. husband 10. monastery
12 Summary
A.
4 3
1 2
B.
(Answers may vary.) 1. Sanzang prayed, and the gold ring on Sun Wukong’s head became loose. 2. A monster came out of the river and attacked them. 3. The demons had a bottle that sucked Sun Wukong into it. 4. The monk and his followers met the Buddha at last.
Book Report
Story 1. tricks 2. Heaven 3. crime 4. sucked 5. guards
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